Improvement in printing-presses



- 4 Sheets-Sheet 1. S.P.RUGGLES. v

PRINTING mass.

No. 1,851. Patented Nov. 10, 1840.

4 Sheets-Sheet 2.

s. P. RUGGLBS. PRINTING PRESS.

Patented M0110, 1840.

S. P; RUGGLES.

I PRINTING PRESS.

N0.- 1,851. v Patented Nov. 10, 1840.

4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

, 4Sheets-Sheet4; S.P.RUGG.LBS. 4

PRINTING PRESS. No. 1,851! Patented Nov. 10, 1840.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN P. RUGGLES, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN PRlNTlNG-PRESSES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 1,851 dated November10, 1840.

, connection, form my specification.

My printing-machine possesses one principle or distinguishing featurewhich causes it to differ from all others heretofore used, and whichconsists in inverting the types or arranging them with their letters orfaces downward instead of the usual mode of disposing the same. It hasalways been supposedthat should types be so arranged the operation ofthe press would easily derange them and cause them to fall from thechase in which they are usually locked; but my experience has provedthis not to be the case where proper care is previously taken to preparethe form. The types will remain in their places, and paper can beprinted with as much and greater facility than on a common press, and bythus inverting the types I am enabled to arrange the operative parts ofmy machine in a more simple manner and to more advantage than Iotherwise could.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings is a top view of my machine. Figs.2 and 3 are side views; Figs. 1 and 5, end views; Fig. 6, a verticallongitudinal section; and Figs. 7, 8, 9, &c., represent parts in detail,which 'will be hereinafter described.

A, Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 5, represents the flywheel of the press,(constructed of the usual form and suitable size,) and attached to thedriving-shaft B. The journals of this driving-shaft rest and revolve insuitable boxes or bearings connected or attached to each side of theframe-work O C O, the said frame being constructed of cast-iron andproperly shaped to support the operative parts of the machine theretoattached. The driving-shaft B and fly-wheel A are revolved, in the caseof small presses for printing bills, by a treadle D, Fig. 2, (on whichthe operative presses his foot,) having a rod E connecting the same to acrank F on each extremity of the shaft B; or, in case of larger pressesfor heavy work, the shaft B may be turned by manual labor, or any othersuitable power thereto properly applied. A pinion G, Figs. 3 and 5, onthe shaft B engages with a cogged wheel H, placed on another shaft I. Around bolt or pin K passes through the wheel H into a circular plate Lat its side and in shaft I. (See Fig. 7.) When the wheel H is revolved,the pin K meets one end of a pitman M, Fig. 6, which is hollowed out toreceive it, forcing said pitman forward and at the same timestraightening or bringing into aperpendicular line with each other thetoggles or progressive leversN O, to which said pitman is joined. Thefoot of the lower toggle O rests in a suitable step P in the top of thestationary orossbeam Q, while the upper toggle N is connected by a.proper joint to the lower side of the platen E, Fig. 6. Two uprightpillars S S, Figs. 2 and 3, &c., connect the cross-beam Q to another uppercross-beam T, the cross-beam T being so arranged or having a certainportion of one of its ends cut out, as representel by dotted lines at'0, Fig. 1, so as to be easily swung round at any time into the positionrepresented by the dotted lines. The bed B is placed immediately underand in contact with the cross-beam T, and is hinged at two corners V V,Figs. 1, 2, and 3, to the top of standards X, projecting from theframe-work O C, so as to be easily turned up in.the position denoted bythe dotted lines, Fig. 6, and when brought back again to a horizontalsituation it is therein sustained by four ears YY :Y Y, Figs. 1, 2,"and3, projecting from the plate of the bed and resting on the tops ofstandards Z Z Z Z. I the type b, Fig. 6, is locked, is a plainrectangular metallic frame similar to those ordinarily used by printers,and'is' secured by screws or in any convenient manner to the surface ofthe bed. From the above it will be easily seen that the impression isgiven when the toggles are straightened by the action of the pin K onthe end of the pitman, which it forces forward, at the same time raisingthe end of the pitman during a portion of the revolution of the pin Kuntil the pitman is brought into a horizontal position, when, the

The chase a a, in which revolution of the pin still going on, the end ofthe pitman rises still higher and the pitman and toggles retrograde totheir former angular position,when the pin K departs from the pitman andthe latter drops downward to its previous position. That portion of theshaft I intervening between the wheel H and the circular plate L has notits axis or center in the same line with the axis on which the shaftrevolves, but is placed a little out of the same, so that its center oraxis revolves in a circle, in order that when the pitman drops downwardit may fall freely to its former position. It first falls on thecircular connecting portion of the shaft, and as the shaft revolvesstill farther it gradually leaves the pitman until it drops therefromand descends to its lowestposition.

Directly above the platen is the tympanplate, which consists of arectangular plate of metal a, Fig. 6, resting on the bars 01 d of arectangular carriage (Z d, Figs. 1 and 6, and e 6, Figs. 4 and 5, whichis suitably supported on rails or ledges secured to the sides of theframe, so as to be pushed forward and drawn backward for the purpose ofcarrying the sheet of paper to be printed under the types for theiraction thereon, and also to withdraw the same after it is printed and tocarry the rollers, which lay the ink upon the surface of the type. Thetympan-plate c is kept in place by two or more small pins projectingdownward from each end of the same and entering loosely into circularholes drilled in the top of each of the side rails of the carriage d d,as shown in Fig. 6, where one of the pins or guides f (represented bydotted lines) is seen projecting from the lower surface of the plate andpassing into the rail (Z. When the platen is raised by the toggles, itsupper surface comes in contact with the lower surface of thetympan-plate and raises said tympan-plate, with the sheet of paperthereon, to the types, the guides or pinsfrising'at the same time intheir respective holes in the rails. When the platen descends, the platefalls, also, until it meets and rests on the carriage, as beforementioned, and is drawn back or out from between the platen and form toreceive another sheet of paper to be printed. The blanket is placed onthe upper surface of the tympan-plate c in the usual way, and a tympanor rectangular metallic'or wooden frame (represented in section at g g,Fig. 6) covered with thin cotton or other suitable cloth surrounds thetympan-plate, the cotton cloth serving to cover the blanket to keep thesame in position and to receive the sheet of paper to be printed on itsupper surface.

Having thus described the machinery which produces the impression, I nowproceed to explain that which operates the tympan-carriage d d, beforementioned. A cam 72, Figs. 3, 6, and 7, is placed on the shaft I, andunder the same is a roller 2', attached to the side of a bar or piece ofmetal k, which has an elongated slot l, through which the shaft Ipasses,

means of a circular plate 0, fixed on said shaft, and to which the arm mis secured by screws and nuts, the heads of which screws are shown at pp, Fig. 6. From the center of the shaft a a bent arm q rises and isconnected with the tympan-carriage by a link 7' and a projection stherefrom. When the revolution of the shaft to which the cam h isattached causes the portion t u thereof to press upon the roller 2', itdepresses said roller and consequently the arm 70, at the same timeturning the shaft 71 in its bearings and causing the arm q to pressforward the tympan-carriage, so as to carry the sheet of paper betweenthe platen and form. Then while the impression is being given by thetoggles the portion a o of the cam h (which is an arc of a circle whosecenter is in the axis of the shaft 92) is brought in contact with theroller '5, producing no depression of the same, but causing said rollerto preserve a stationary position until the revolution of the shaft 72.brings the portion r 'w in contact with the roller t', whichpermits"said roller and the bar it to ascend, while the tympancarriageis drawn back with the printed sheet. The power which draws back thetympancarriage consists of a weight 00, attached to one end of a chainor belt 11, passing over a pulley 2, the opposite end of said chain orbelt 11 being affixed to the top of the arm q. The portion fw of the camh is an arc of a circle whose center is in the axis of the shaft I, andwhile the same is in contact with the roller 2' it neither raises nordepresses the same, and during the interval of time the 0perativesupplies a new sheet of paper to the tym pan-carriage.

The machinery which operates the tympancarriage being described, thenext part of the press which comes under our notice is that by which thepaper is supplied and removed. A cam a, Figs. 2, 4, and 9, is placed onthe shaft I. A bent rod 1) c (1' (having one portion I) c bent at rightangles to the other part c d and its extremity b resting on theperiphery of the cam a) is attached at its end cl" to the extremity of ahorizontal shaft e 6, Figs. 1 and. 2, revolving in suitable bear ings inthe tops of standards ff. An inclined table g'h", Figs. 2and 6, and g hh g, Fig. 1, is affixed to the shaft 6 e, the table having its lowestend g made sharp or angular and slightly curved or bent upward, as seenin section, Fig. 6, and suitably covered with tin or a plate of metal.On this table the sheet to be printed is laid, and while the end I) ofthe lever b c d is in contact with the point t" of the cam theimpression is just commencing. Then, while the toggles are acting toraise and lower the platen the portion z" j of the cam a is revolving incontact with the end b of the lever b c d, and as the said portion tj isthe arc of a circle it neither raises nor depresses the end I) of thelever, and consequently the table g h, Fig. 6, remains stationary andthe workman lays the sheet thereon. Though he may not commence to laythe sheet on the table until this moment, yet he can perform the sameoperation at the same moment the sheet is drawn from the table by thefrisket and while the table remains stationary on the end b of the leverb c d, in contact with the arc t" j, the impression is given and thetympan-carriage withdrawn from under the platen and form. Then as thecam a revolves the eccentric portion j k operates on the end b of thelever, permitting it to descend and drop the end g, Fig. 6, of the tableg h upon or toward the surface or top of the tympan, when the machinerywhich next receives the sheet and confines it to the tympan, and whichwill be hereinafter described, performs its office, and thetympancarriage carries the sheet between the platen and form. During theperiod of time it takes the machinery to perform the said operation thecircular portion k l of the cam a is in contact with the end I) of thelever, producing no motion of the same. While the cam revolves stillfarther, or the eccentric part thereof from t to i" is in contact orrolls against the end I) of the lever, the lever and end g of the tableare raised upward a short distance, so as to enable the tympan-carriageafter the impression is given to return from between the platen and formwith the printed sheet, and permit the sheet to pass underneath thetable without coming in contact with the same. At the same time thefriske't passes over the table, as hereinafter described, so as toremove the sheet of paper on the ta ble at the return of the carriage.At the moment the end I) of the lever b c d passes the pointy" of thecam a in its passage from j to 70 the end 1) begins to descend, carryingdown at the same time the end g of the table g h, Fig. 6, toward thesurface of the tympan. so as to cause the under side of the table g 7tat the'end of the operation to bear upon the upper surface of the sheetof paper then on the tympan, and just described as having been printed.The plate of metal Which covers the lower side of the table g 77. hasits lower surface roughened, or has a number of small wire pointsprojecting therefrom, which enter into the paper, and as thetympan-carriage moves in or back between the platen and form with thesucceeding sheet to be printed the points above mentionedprevent theprinted sheet of paper from being car ried between the platen and form,and cause it to drop into the box or receptacle m, attached to the rearof the tympan-carriage. (See Fig. 6.) Thus it will be seen,that thesheet when lying in the box m exhibits the printed sideupward, so as tobe immediately under the inspection of the pressman, and if anyirregularity in the operation of printing has occurred his eye caneasily detect the same. The pile of paper from which the sheets to beprinted are taken is laid on a table 12', Figs. 1, 3, and 4, attached tothe side of the press.

The machinery above alluded to, which takes the sheet to beprinted anddraws it away from the upper surface of the table 9 h, Fig. 6, (when thetympan-carriage is moved with the same between the platen and form,) isthus described: A cam 0 (see Figs. 2 and 4) is placed on the shaft I,and between said cam and the cam a before described is a piece of metalor bar to, whose. lower end is forked, so as to straddle the shaft I asthe said bar to moves up ordown. (See Fig. 10, where the fork and shaftare represented, the former bydotted lines.) The object of the fork isto steady the bar to during its movements. A roller 0;, attached to theside of the piece w,rests and moves over the surface or periphery of thecam 0. The upper part of the bar to is connected by a joint to the endof a projection a," from a short shaft 1/, Figs. 1, 2, and 4, suitablysupported and running in hearings on the top of a strut .2, attached tothe frame of the press. An angular or bent bar a is attached to theopposite end of the shaft y. A frisket 19 13 d Figs. 1 and 2, and b c b0 Fig. 1, (composed of thin bars or strips of metal I) c b 0 connectedtogether at their ends by hingesc c and transversely by cross-strips e fFig. 1, and cross-wires 9 k is attached to the inner side of the tympang g by hinges '1? 2' so that it can easily be raised to the positiondenoted by red lines in Fig. 2. A spring j k is coiled around the wirehaving one end j fastened to the wire and theother to the rectangulartym pan-frame g g. This spring presses the frisket down upon the sheetof paper on the tympan-plate. The lowersides of the cross-strips c fshould be roughened or have small wire points inserted therein, so as tocatch into the sheet of paper when the tym pau-carri age starts towardthe form with the sheet to be printed, and by the pressure of the spring9' k confines and draws, said sheet of paper from. the table 9' it. Whenthe tympan-carriage returns with the printed sheet, the under surface ofthe bent top 01 ofthe frisket meets the upper surface of the angular bara and rises thereon into the position denoted by red lines in Fig. 2, oruntil the point pof the cam 0' comes in contact with the roll 1;. Then,as the roll 12 travels from p to t, Fig. 10, the bar to, and of coursethe angular bar a will be lowered down, so as to drop the cross-bar 6upon the sheet of paper, and the points on the under side of the same,catching therein, draw the paper from the table g h when thetympancarriage starts forward, and thus the operations of the machinerywhich carries the paper under the types to be printed and then removesit therefrom after the same are completed are effected.

The inking apparatus is thus described: Z

Z Fig. 6, are two inking-rollers of the ordinary kind attached to thetympan-carriage. When the carriage is drawn back to receive a sheet tobe printed, these rollers pass under the face of the type andcommunicate ink thereto, and when the sheet of paper to be printed isbetween the platen and form the inking-rollers rest on the surface ofthe great distributingc-ylinder m Fig. 6. A small roller n alternatelyvibrating from the fountain-roller 0 to the distributing-cylinder mconveys the ink from the former to the latter. The journals of theroller n revolve in hearings in the extremities of a frame 0 (see Figs.6 and 11,) which frame is connected to a horizontal cross-shaft p by aprojecting rod g Figs. 6 and 11. The shaft 19 has an upright T to theend of which a suitable connecting wire or spring .9 is attached,proceeding from thence to the upper end of the lower toggle, as seen inFig. 6. When the toggles fall back to an inclined position with eachother they draw the roll 72. from the fountain-roller up to the surfaceof the distributing-cylinder m and when theyare straightened or broughtinto a line with each other to give an impression the roller n fallsback upon the fountain-roller 0 There is a cone or set of variablepulleys t on the end of the driving-shaft B, Figs. 1 and 3. From thencea band passes to and around another set of pulleys a on the extremity ofthe shaft of the distributing-cylinder m giving motion to said cylinder.In the rear of the pulleys t and fixed on the driving-shaft B there isanother pulley or cone of pulleys 12 from which a band 10 passes to andaround another set of pulleys 00 Figs. 3 and 4, affixed to the side offrame, but moving loosely on their center pin, fastened to andprojecting from said frame. One extremity g of a rod 11 .2 is connectedto the outside of the pulley m by a screw, so as to have a crank-motionat this end. The other extremity 2 of the rod is joined to one end of aright-angular lever a b 0 moving on a fulcrum b Figs. 1, 3, 6, and 12,on the top of a standard d Fig. 3. The arm 12 c of the bent lever a b chas a series of holes drilled through it, as represented in Fig. 12,through either of which at pleasure the bent end e of a rod 6 f can beinserted. The other end 1' of the rod 2 f is joined to the horizontalshaft 9 which shaft slides or vibrates longitudinally back and forth inits bearings 71 Figs. 2, 3, and 6, the said vibration being caused bythe revolution of the pulley m and intervening machinery, consisting ofthe rod 3 2 the bent lever a b 0 and connecting-rod e f acting upon eachother and together. Theshaft g has notches or spaces i i cut out of thesame, which receive the sides k k of the frame 0 Fig. 11, as the same isbrought up from the fountain-roller to the distributing-cylinder,andthus as the shaft g has a longitudinal vibration the same is imparted tothe roller 41?, which distributes the ink laterally on the surface ofthe cylinder m The shaft 11 is so fitted in its bearings as to be movedlongitudinally back and forth in a corresponding manner with and by theshaft A belt Z Fig. 2, passing from a cone of pulleys m on the shaft 1to and around another set of pulleys n Figs. 1, 2, and 4, on the shaftof the fountain-roller, gives motion to said roller, and a long rod 0Fig. 3, passing along the side of the frame, capable of being slid backand forth longitudinally in its bearings (1 and having its end 17 bentdownward, and on being pushed in contact with a ratchet-wheel r on theother extremity of the shaft of the fountain-roller stops said rollerfrom revolving whenever necessary. The fountain-rolleris constructedsomewhatdifierent from those generally used, inasmuch as the whole ofits surface is cut into fine parallel or spiral grooves. (See Fig. 13.)The thickness of the stratum of ink upon the same is regulated by thedepth of the grooves in the fountain-roller and the quantity for sheetsof different size by the speed of the fountain-roller. A plate 8 Figs. 1and 6, serves to prevent the escape of any ink, excepting that whichpasses into the grooves or indentations of the fountainroller. Thisplate is pressed toward the fountainroller by a series of screws t t 25Figs. 5 and 6, tapped into the under side of the fountain and operatingagainst the plate 8 Instead of fluting or grooving the fountainroller,as above mentioned, it may have its surface indented by numerous smalland regular indentations, or be a plane cylinder without grooves, andthat part of the plate 3 which is contiguous to the same may be groovedtransversely, so that in each case the ink shall be on the cylinder inparallel rings or strips, so that when the surface of the roller 72comes in contact with the fountain-roller and is pressed against thesame the ink will be imparted to the same in short and very thinparallel stripes. By this arrangement the ink is laid on the roller mand distributed much more perfectly and rapidly than by the commonfountain. The end of the pitman M rests when in action on a bent pieceof metal v. Fig. 6, joined at one end to the driving-shaft B and havinga long rod '0 attached to its other extremity. A knob m enables thepressman to lower the piece of metal a that the pitman rests on, andthus depress the pitman, so that the pin K shall not act thereon, andthus throw off the impression whenever necessary. A notch 00 in the rod'0 resting on the staple g sustains the rod o and the pitman when thelatter is raised, so as to bring the pin K in contact with the end ofthe pitman as the said pin revolves.

Having thusdescribed my machinery, I shall now proceed to enumerate itsadvantages, and afterward point outsuch parts as I claim as myinvention. I have contrived my press more particularly for smallworksuch as bills and cars-those I have made generally being about twofeet in width by four feet in length, and are operated by one workman,

who by his foot vibrates the treadle and puts the machinery in motion,while with his hands he supplies the press with the sheets of paper. orcards to be printed. A press constructed in the above manner, of anysize, will also operate equally well, requiring but one attendant, thuscreating a great reduction of labor. From the peculiar arrangements ofthe machinery the average speed equalstwelve hundred impressions eachhour, and the convenience of placing and removing a form or inspectingthe same during the time the press is in operation is very great. Incomparing this with the common hand-press it is found that it will printtwenty sheets, cards, or labels with one operative in the same time thatfour are done by two persons, and with a much greater uniformity ofcolor than printing where the types are inked by hand.

I claim 1. A platen raised and lowered by the machinery arranged asabove described, in combination with the movable tympan-plate on whichthe sheet of paper is placed, and the bed supporting the type with theirfaces downward, the whole being arranged and operating togethersubstantially in the manner and for the purposes herein explained andset forth.

2. Supplying the press with paper and removing the same after it isprinted (into a box on, Fig. 6, attached to the tympan-carriage) bymeans of a vibrating table g h,

(operated by a cam a, Fig. 2, on the shaft 02, Figs. 4 and 6, and othermachinery immediately between said cam and table) in combination with afrisket constructed as above described, connected to the frame g g ofthe tympan-plate and pressed down upon said plate by a spring 9' 7L andraised when the tympan -carriage recedes with the printed sheet by meansof a cam 0, Fig. 2, on the shaft 01, through the intervention of a barto with a roller Q2, shaft y, and angular piece of metal a the wholebeing arranged and operating together substantially as herein aboveexplained and set forth.

.3. Grooving or channeling the fountain roller or plate under the same,in the manner and for the purpose above mentioned.

4. The peculiar combination of machinery for the lateral vibration ofthe distributingroller, said combination consisting of the pulleys e onthe shaft B, band 10 pulleys 00 rod 1 2 lever a b 0 rod 6 f3, shaft 9and distributing-roller frame 0 the Whole being arranged and operatingtogether substantially in the manner and for the purpose abovementioned.

In testimony that the above is a true description of my said inventionand improvements I have hereto set my signature this 19th day of August,in theyear 1840.

, STEPHEN P. RUGGLES. Witnesses:

R. H. EDDY, EZRA LINCOLN, Jr.

